Elena and the Royal Decree
by NoraSage
Summary: Elena is approaching the end of her year as crown princess. Isabel discovers an old scroll that will force Elena to see Gabe in a new light.
1. Chapter 1

Elena and the Royal Decree

It was almost one year since Elena was freed from Queen Shuriki's curse and restored to the throne of Avalor. As promised, she reigned over the land as crown princess- fulfilling her commitment to her Abuelo to learn how to lead her kingdom. The coronation was just three weeks away and she was anxious to finally be named queen of Avalor. She was ready.

Her sister Isabel was home on summer vacation. She spent the days exploring hidden corners of the castle, looking for inspiration for her next invention. Elena was not surprised to find her sister covered in dust, running through the halls late that afternoon.

"Elena!" She came running towards Elena, a dusty moth-eaten scroll in her hand. "I found this scroll hidden in a cupboard in the secret passageway. It's sealed with the Avalor crest- Jacquins! I wonder if one of our ancestors put it there..."

Elena took the scroll from her outstretched hand. Carefully, she peeled the wax seal back without ripping the delicate paper.

"It's a Royal Decree! It's dated from over 90 years ago!" She scanned the document and read, "It is hereby declared that the kingdom of Avalor shall be led by the royal blood of the Castillo family. Upon coronation of the first born prince or princess, he or she must marry within 30 days of the crowning ceremony. All royal unions of matrimony should be arranged to ensure the royal bloodline." She looked up at her sister and whispered " _No!"_ She continued, "A royal from a neighboring kingdom may be chosen. In the event that a suitable royal cannot be found, a partner with the status of nobility may be selected from the following noble families: Lopez, Garcia, Flores and Nunez."

"What does that mean, Elena? You have to get married?" Isabel's eyes were wide with wonder.

Elena gritted her teeth. "Not if I have anything to say about that." She marched straight to her grandfather and grandmother, Francisco and Luisa.

She found her abuelo and abuela having tea in the dining room. Without delay, she demanded, "Do you know anything about this?! Isa found an old royal decree that said I would have to get married within 30 days of my coronation!"

Luisa took the withered document and reviewed it carefully. "Well... we will have to consult Esteban to see if the signatures are valid. It is signed by your grandparents on your father's side of the family, Jorge and Marisol Castillo. I'm sorry mija, but I think it is authentic. You must rule with a husband at your side."

"I am perfectly capable of ruling Avalor on my own. I don't need a husband to tell me what to do!" She turned on her heel and stalked out of the room furiously.

"Perhaps it is better that she has a partner. We will not be around forever mi amor.", murmured Francisco.

Luisa sighed. "And she has the temper of Charoca sometimes. She needs a strong man who will let her take the lead, but be a voice of patience and reason." She raised her brow and said, "It did not escape me that Nunez was listed as a name of nobility."

"As in lieutenant Nunez? I wonder what his family connection is to the noble family Nunez. I can see you are scheming Luisa, but Elena is an independent soul. She will not easily be swayed."

"Her other alternative being her older cousin Esteban? Or that fool, Prince Alonso? I think she would much prefer the handsome young soldier.", she replied.

He took her hand in his and kissed it tenderly. "Our marriage was arranged, but we had already chosen each other for love. I hope she can find the same."

"Me too, mi amor."

Elena paced in her room angrily. "Marriage? Bah! I'll not marry some stuffy prince like Prince Alonso." She shuddered at the thought of the cocky, irresponsible prince from the Kingdom of Cordoba. There had to be a way to get out of this.

And then it hit her. "Aha!"

Devising a plan, she set out to meet with her Grand Council to discuss the validity of this heinous decree.

Naomi pounced on her as soon as she entered the hallway. "So, marriage huh? You're not going to marry Chancellor Esteban, now are you? He's nobility." She smirked playfully.

Elena's face contorted with disgust. "Naomi! You know me better than that!"

Naomi chuckled. "Just teasing princess. I'm sure you'll find yourself a handsome prince from _some_ distant kingdom."

Elena rolled her eyes. "Not if I have anything to say about it!"

She entered the room in a flourish, Naomi on her tail. Her grandparents, cousin Esteban and royal wizard Mateo were waiting expectantly. "Thank you for coming. As you know, we have a royal decree to discuss. Sooo, before anyone starts suggesting some distant prince for me to marry, I have another suggestion."

Chancellor Esteban pursed his lips. "Let's hear it."

"Thank you, cousin. So this royal decree... it was written while my Castillo grandparents were king and queen. It was designed to make sure the throne stays in the family." She put a hand up to stop Esteban's interruption. "But... what if I make my own royal decree in my first thirty days? I can make an ammendment to this decree to state that I have, ohh let's say, ten years? Before I have to get married?"

Luisa looked at Elena increduously and said, "Mija it is not that simple. There are other laws already in place that limit the power of amending royal decrees. We were looking it over before you got here. There is no legal way out of this one. You will have to get married."

Elena threw her arms up, exasperated. "Abuela, I _can't_ get married! I've had less than a year outside of the amulet and now you want to imprison me with a husband! Can't I have a bit more time to myself?!"

Francisco went to Elena and put his hands on her shoulders. "Now Elena, it is not that bad. You know, things were arranged with Luisa and I, and we are very happy together. We will find someone compatible with you. We have a bit of time."

"What about that prince you met, from Cordoba?" Mateo suggested.

Elena groaned. "No way, not a chance. He has no passion for his work and his people. I'll never marry someone so self-absorbed."

Luisa shared a look with Francisco. "You know, mija, there is another option besides a prince." She paused carefully. "The decree allowed for marriage to one of the noble families of Avalor."

Elena pursed her lips impatiently. "What are you getting at, abuela."

Esteban, shrewd as he was, caught on to Louisa's plan rather quickly. "We have no way of knowing who is truly noble anymore. The nobles lost their status when Shuriki took the throne."

"Wait, there must be a way to know for sure. Maybe there are copies of Avalor geneological records at the library." Mateo offered helpfully.

Luisa responded quickly, "That will not be necessary Mateo. The decree specified the family names of nobility. Related is related, regardless of how far back the connection goes. Since our family surname is Flores, another Flores is obviously out of the question. That leaves us the options of Lopez, Garcia or Nunez. I'm sure we can find someone for you Elena." She smiled, scheming unabashedly.

Naomi, putting it together, exclaimed, "Wait... you mean Gabe! Wow Luisa, that's a bit of a stretch."

"Did I hear my name?" Gabe entered in a timely fashion, hands resting on his hips in the proud stance of a royal guard.

Elena groaned once again and hid her face in her hands.

"Hey Gabe, we were just discussing your impending marriage to Elena. At least, that's what Luisa is scheming about." Naomi muttered sarcastically.

Gabe smoothed his hair nervously. "Ah, marriage? To Elena? But... but I'm not a prince!"

"Don't worry Gabe, this is a little beyond the duties of a royal guard. I'm _not_ getting married. We'll find a way around this ridiculous decree!" Elena rushed past Gabe, a determined resolve in her gait.

"She'll come around.", said Luisa.

"She should not marry a distant, _possible_ relative of the noble family Nunez. My apologies Gabe, it is not personal. But she should marry royalty, to keep the proud character of Avalor intact." Esteban stated in haughty arrogance.

Luisa ruffled to Esteban and consoled Gabe, "Do not listen to Esteben, Gabriel. You are a fine match for Elena and it is well within the law for her to marry you. At least we know you would protect Elena and keep her safe."

Gabe shifted his weight awkwardly to one foot, as if he wanted to run. "Ahh... I better find Elena. She... um... seemed upset." He made his exit with haste, wishing to disappear from embarassment. If he was being truthful with himself, the idea of marrying Elena thrilled him immensely. He'd kept his feelings for her in check for ages- but now the possibility of acting on those feelings was there and his imagination ran wild. Could she ever feel the same way for him? There was only one way to find out.

Elena paced out in the gardens, trying to grasp at some solution. She could not fathom marrying anyone, let alone her friend and royal guard. And what did he think of such a nonsensical idea? Surely he would not agree to such a thing out of duty. Besides, they have always been friends. She'd never considered crossing that line with him.

"Ahem. Um, Elena? Are you ok?" Gabe interrupted her stream of dissonance with an obscene blush creeping up his neck.

"Gabe... listen don't worry about this hairbrained idea of abuela's. This is way beyond royal guard responsibilities. I mean... marriage! Gah!"

Gabe assembled his courage and approached Elena with feigned courage. To her surprise, he took her hands in his. "Elena, I would not marry someone out of duty, not even a princess."

"Well that's a relief", she laughed.

He gripped her hands tighter, hesitating. "Ah... what I mean to say. Would you like to go on a date... sometime... with me?"

She blanched and pulled her hands from his. "Wait... are you saying you're interested in me? _I did not see that one coming._ " she muttered under her breath. "I don't know Gabe. I've never thought of you in that way before. I guess we could give it a shot. I'd rather spend time with you than Prince Alonso."

Gabe oozed pure happiness and flashed Elena a charismatic smile. "Great! I'll pick you up tomorrow night at 7:00. Goodnight, princess." He walked off with a swagger of confidence, all trace of his shy blush had vanished.

Elena sighed in exasperation. "What have I done..."

Zuzo popped into existence, snapping Elena out of her sulk. "What's wrong princess, royal life got you down?"

She grimaced. "Something like that. Turns out I have to get MARRIED after coronation. Such an antiquated, ridiculous idea."

"Ahh yes princess, I know the law well. Perhaps, try not think of it as such a terrible thing. Having a strong team and partnership at the crown is a very _good_ thing for Avalor. Where you are headstrong and sometimes reckless, your partner could keep you safe and grounded. It's all about balance and leadership."

Elena sighed in grudging acquiescence. "I guess you're right. I don't have to do it alone. I just don't like to be pressured. Maybe there's a small part of me that wants to marry for romance and love."

"Well, I hate to side with your abuela, but perhaps there is more there between you and the young Lieutenant Nunez than you've admitted to yourself. At the very least, there is friendship and trust. The man would jump in front of a bullet for you, and not just out of duty." Zuzu winked and just like that, he disappeared.

It was 6:55 and Elena paced nervously in her bedroom. She'd changed her dress at least three times in Isabel's contraption, feeling uncharacteristically apprehensive about spending time with Gabe. Would he expect her to kiss him tonight? Despite over 40 years trapped in the amulet, she was an inexperienced 17 year old girl at heart.

She swallowed her nerves and made her way to the foyer. Gabe had ditched the guard uniform and he was resplendent in a formal suit, as nobility would surely wear. He bowed deeply to Elena and kissed her hand. He revealed a bouquet of vivid red Ceibo flowers.

"You didn't have to... er... thanks Gabe."

"My pleasure, Elena. Shall we?"

Gabe led Elena out to the courtyard to a carriage, decorated from top to bottom in the ruby red Ceibo flowers. The driver, a friend of Gabe's, winked at her as Gabe helped her into her seat. "Wow, Gabe. This is beautiful!" she said appreciatively.

Gabe locked her in his smoldering eyes, "You're welcome, Elena. They reminded me of you. Bright, bold and lovely."

She had a rushing feeling, like things were moving too fast and they'd only just started. "So.. where are we going?"

Gabe smiled and put his arm across the seat behind her. "That is a surprise. You'll just have to patient."

 _He's charming, that's for sure,_ Elena thought. She let down her guard for the moment and enjoyed the ride into the country. They approached a nearby stream and Gabe reached in his pocket to produce a blindfold. "May I?"

She nodded, wondering what he was up to.

He lead her out of the carriage and closer to the stream. She could hear the running water and the soft melody on a charango (similar to a ukulele). When he finally stopped and removed the blindfold, she was floored by her surroundings.

There was a burst of vivid red from the blooming Ceibo trees all around them. They were lit with hundreds of lanterns carefully strung up from the trees, creating a dazzling, romantic scenery. A musician strummed a lovely melody near a dining table, set for two. Gabe grasped Elena's hands and asked, "Dance with me?"

Elena nodded, unable to speak. She was choked up with emotion at the thoughtfulness and beauty of this place. He whisked her away, dancing in rhythm to the music. The tone became more seductive and their bodies were in synchony with the melody, inching closer and closer to one another. Feeling overwhelmed at the depth of the trance she seemed to be in, Elena jerked away from Gabe. The space she created did not stop the sparks from flying back and forth between them. She must finally admit to herself what she could not before- she had feelings for Gabe that connected on a deeper, primal level of absolute compatibility.

Gabe could read her confusion and desire, as Elena backed away. "Would you like to have dinner with me?", he inquired, eager to make her feel at ease.

"Yes, and perhaps a drink too." Elena laughed, breathlessly.

They ate in companionable conversation, though perhaps more reserved than the usual quips and banter that had previously defined their relationship. Gabe reached out and grabbed Elena's hand as they strolled back to the carriage.

Elena became quiet and pensive on the ride back to the castle. Her hand twitched and Gabe seized the opportunity to grasp it. Stroking the back her palm, he said softly, "I had a great time tonight Elena. No, an unbelievable time. I hope I will have the honor of taking you out for a second date..." He gazed into her eyes passionately, and she flushed in anticipation. She tilted her head towards his and softly kissed him with her ruby red lips, which matched the shade of the Ceibo flowers perfectly.

The next morning, at breakfast, Luisa looked at Elena expectantly. "Wellll, how did it go with Lieutenant Nunez?"

Elena smiled dreamily, reminiscing on the romantic evening she'd had. She all but hugged herself as she glided into her seat.

Francisco chuckled. "If that doesn't give you your answer, Luisa... yes, I'd say you may have been right about Mr. Nunez."

Luisa smiled smugly. "Of course I was right, mi amor. I'm glad you finally see what a charming young man Mr. Nunez is, Elena."

"Yes, yes, you were right. Very charming."

Isabel wrinkled her nose in distaste. "So is he your... boyfriend now?!"

Elena gave her sister an amused half-smile and responded, "Let's not rush things Isa. For now, let's just say I had a really great evening with him." The faraway glaze returned to her eyes and Luisa smiled at Francisco knowingly.


	2. Chapter 2

Elena was not allowed time to dwell on her blissful romance- the next week would prove to be extremely trying.

On Monday, there was a heated dispute at the docks- where Dona Paloma imported goods through Naomi's father, Daniel Turner. According to the business agreement, Dona Paloma was required give Mr. Turner a 3% shipping fee for all transactions. Dona Paloma had quite adamently insisted on paying Mr. Turner only 1%.

When Elena heard the news, she rushed off to the docks to play peacekeeper. She didn't want Esteban handling this sort of thing, because he had no knack for diffusing conflict. Arguments between her friends caused her considerable anxiety and she wanted to ensure that her subjects would get along.

Gabe greeted her warmly with a kiss on the cheek when he escorted her to deal with the crisis, his hand lingering on her waist. So, she arrived to the docks with butterflies in her stomach and flushed cheeks from thinking of his lingering touch.

Dona Paloma rushed to her as soon as Elena stepped out of the coach. Naomi and her father were right on her tail, shouting angrily at her.

"Crown princess Elena, thank _goodness_ you're here! I have been accused of such horrible trickery and it is not the case at all. I was simply following the contract. This man is trying to hurt my reputation as a business owner.", Dona Paloma huffed and crossed her arms.

Naomi was seething with anger. "This woman made a VERBAL agreement to 3%. I don't care what that retched contract says!"

Elena put an arm around Naomi's shoulders, steering her away from Dona Paloma, lest she slap her in anger. "Woah, woah, slow down Naomi. What does the contract say and Mr. Turner, did you read it before you signed it?"

It turned out that Mr. Turner had _not_ read the contract fine print before signing it. Dona Paloma had included a tiny script at the bottom to state that 3% would only be paid if the imports were from Peru. It took a bit of persuasion for Dona Paloma to pay the difference. Elena had to remind her that if she tainted her business relationships, she would lose her source for imported goods. Dona Paloma eventually coughed up the 3% when Elena promised the castle would shop at her store for upcoming coronation decorations.

Elena sighed in the coach on the way back to the castle. Gabe spoke to her from the driver's seat, "You're really good at that, you know. You were born for this, princess."

"Thanks Gabe. I just hope Dona Paloma will change her greedy ways."

They pulled up to the castle, behind three other royal carriages. "What's all this?" Elena wondered.

"We weren't expecting anyone... Ah there's Esteban. Esteban! Who are our visitors?" Gabe called out.

As Elena emerged from the coach, Esteban announced, "May I present, Crown Princess Elena of Avalor!"

Three young men and their guards bowed regally to Elena. "Esteban! What's going on?"

"Well, Elena, as your cousin and chancellor, I think it is my duty to advise you to make the right decisions for your future and for Avalor.", he said with a slight bow.

Elena recognized one of the young men and her stomach sank. "Elena, my dear, it's so nice to see you again!" _Oh no! Prince Alonso of Cordoba!_

A sidelong glance at Gabe revealed a stiff posture and grim expression. She bit her lip nervously. "Oh heeey, Alonso. Little early for the coronation, aren't you?"

Alonso took Elena's hand and kissed it, adoringly. She quickly pulled away. "No hermosa, not just for the coronation. I am here to court you, of course!"

"Court me?!", she squeaked.

"Yes, my darling. When the chancellor informed me you were seeking a husband, I knew I must come at once! Think of it- neighboring kingdoms of Cordoba and Avalor, both ruled by King Alonso and Queen Elena. Magnifico!"

Elena shrugged away from Alonso with a polite half-smile and grabbed Esteban by the ear. She angrily whispered, "You are in SO much trouble, Esteban!"

He rubbed his ear but managed to maintain his dignified composure. "Elena, now let's not be rude. We must finish introductions to your very special guests and invite them inside the castle. _Lieutenant_...", the word rolled off his tongue like an insult, "...carry their bags upstairs at once."

With a look of pure malice, Gabe roughly stacked the bags up and hauled them into the castle.

"May I present, Prince Juan Marco of Santa Fe and Prince Horatio Gonzalez of Buenos Aires."

Elena curtsied to the gentleman politely though she was seething with anger on the inside. At least she could count on her abuela to give Esteban a mouthful about this stunt. That is, assuming she wasn't in on it, too.

"Come inside, gentlemen. We will have a feast tonight to celebrate your arrival." Elena did not want to insult the princes by turning them away. She felt it was her duty to honor her guests with a formal event. Even this much felt like a betrayal to Gabe. Her heart ached for him; he was as worthy and honorable as any prince, yet Esteban made no mention to the other princes that she was already being courted. She supposed she would have to let them down easy and apologize for them being misled.

Through gritted teeth, she said, "Dearest cousin Esteban, would you show our guests to their rooms? I would like to have a little siesta before the feast this evening."

The young men waved cheerily to Elena as she escaped quickly to her quarters. She threw herself down on her bed in exasperation. A soft knock on the door perked her up. "Who is it?", she grunted.

Isabel answered, "It's me... I heard the news. I wanted to make sure you were ok."

Elena sighed. "Come in, Isa. I'll be ok. I just need to figure out how to deal with this... diplomatically. Do you know where Abuela is?"

Luisa's voice sang from the hallway, "Right here Elena!" She peeked her head into the doorway. "I will have Esteban by the huevos for this, mija! Excuse the language, Isa. I am all wound up like a burrito over this."

Isabel giggled and Elena cracked a half smile. "Maybe I should just let YOU deal with him, then!"

Luisa narrowed her eyes and vowed, "I will, Elena. But first we have to get through the next few days. Now, it is customary for the princess to entertain one date with each suitor."

"But abuela! You already know how I feel about Gabe!"

"Hush mija. We must follow the customs. Gabe will understand." Luisa stroked Elena's back soothingly. "Just three dates, and you can announce that you have chosen Gabe as your suitor."

Isabel asked, "Does _Gabe_ know you are going to choose him as suitor? Maybe you should tell him Elena."

Elena took a deep breath and said, "No, not yet. And I'm not so sure Gabe knows what he is getting himself into by courting me. I mean, does he really want to be King? I need to think about this more."

Luisa patted Elena's head and murmured, "You will know what is right when the time comes. Trust your heart, not your doubts. Come on Isa, let's leave Elena to her siesta."


	3. Chapter 3

After dressing for the feast, Elena spotted Gabe at the front gate. He was scowling, intimidating the baker who was trying to enter the castle to deliver desserts.

"Gabe, are you going to let the _poor_ guy in so he can do his job? " Elena asked sarcastically.

His face brightened when he heard her voice. "Princess! Uh yes, of course. Just didn't want a repeat of Fiero for your celebration tonight."

Elena rolled her eyes. "Yes, because the baker's assistant is a maldavo."

Gabe cracked a half smile and responded, "Wouldn't want him to turn your suitors to stone. "

Elena sighed. "By law I have to entertain a date with each of them. And by law I have to marry when I become queen. And my husband will be king. Have you thought about that, Gabe? I mean REALLY thought it through? You would be making a commitment to me and to Avalor for the rest of your life. Responsible for trade, development, the royal guard, food production, occasional magical creatures who want to open the gates to their realm and destroy our way of life..."

"Elena I AM already married to Avalor." He gestured at his uniform and raised an eyebrow. "Royal guard, remember? And if I had known there was any chance I could court you, I would have done it ages ago!"

Gabe looked away and sighed. "But, now here we are. You have three princes who were meant to rule kingdoms and they can give you everything you could possibly want. You belong with one of them, princess. I'm not the guy for you."

Elena grabbed Gabe's arm and tugged, so he would meet her eyes. "Not the guy for me?! Do you really believe that, Gabe, or are you just trying to protect me like you did when you were teaching me how to fence... and losing on purpose! Did Esteban put you up to this?"

She swiveled on her toes and trounced away angrily to the ballroom.

Later, at the feast, Elena entertained a dance with each of her suitors, minus one Lt. Nunez. She was dancing aggressively, taking the lead instead of allowing herself to be led. An awkward, angry smile was pasted to her face as she spun around with Prince Horatio- the slightly chubby, good-natured young prince from Buenos Aires.

Naomi elbowed Mateo . "She looks more likely to kick him in the groin than kiss him. You have to do something!"

Mateo stammered, "M-mee? I can't do anything about it."

Naomi rolled her eyes and pushed Mateo towards Elena and Horatio. "Sure you can! Ask to cut in."

Mateo grudgingly approached them and tapped Elena on the shoulder. "May I cut in?" He squeaked, blushing furiously.

Elena rolled her eyes and said, "Excuse us." to Horatio.

She smiled for the first time that night as she lead Mateo around in clumsy circles as he stumbled over himself. "Thanks Mateo. Did Naomi put you up to this?"

"How did you guess? Sorry you're going through this, Elena. I think it will all work out in the end. "

Elena had a far away look in her eyes and replied, "I hope you're right, Mateo. "

From the grounds, Gabe could see Elena dancing with Mateo through the window. She smiled genuinely at him, and he was rubbing her arm as they spoke into each others' ears. _Really_?, thought Gabe. _It's not enough that I need to compete with princes, but now Mateo too_?!

Gabe sulked away from the window; he couldn't bear to watch anymore. For one, amazing moment he'd thought she was his. Now everything was screwed up and he might lose her forever.

 **A/N:** short chapter I wrote at work, more to come!


	4. Chapter 4

The sky was dark and rumbling with thunder when Elena finally left the feast. Naomi threw an arm around her shoulder as they walked to the carriages. "Glad that's over with, right?"

Elena smiled half heartedly. "I'll be glad when these dates are over with. What was Esteban thinking?! I can't marry any of them."

Naomi elbowed Elena playfully. "Not even Gabe? I, uh, kind of overheard some of the guards talking about it. They said you'd kissed! "

Elena blushed and bit her lip. "That's the thing, Naomi. It was better than I'd imagined! Maybe I suppressed my feelings for him all this time, but it felt so... right! And natural." She looked up at the palm trees, blowing wildly as the winds picked up. "I know his feelings are hurt by all of this, but I feel stuck! Like I can't do anything, even as his friend, to make him feel better."

"Elena, he'll be ok. If he cares about you the way I think he does, this won't change the way he feels. Trust me, Gabe will still be there at the end of the day. I should get home... the storm coming in makes me uneasy. "

"Ok. Be safe, Naomi! "

/

The wind whipped and howled furiously all night and into the dawn. Lightening brought down trees with a crash and the heavy downpour of rain flooded the streets of Avalor. Elena was up all night, watching the storm and wishing she could go out to make sure her people were safe. As soon as the first haze of dawn peeked through the thinning clouds, she called an emergency council meeting.

After waiting over an hour for the guards to bring Mateo and Naomi to the castle, Esteban was ready to start without them. "Elena, please be reasonable. We cannot wait for them all day! We must at least send out scouts to see what damage the storm has done."

Francisco gently added, "Our people may need help Elena. I'm afraid Esteban is right."

Elena spotted Skylar circling her balcony and made up her mind. "Ok. Send out the guards, and alert the engineer and the physician that we may need their help today. Gabe and I will take the jacquins to see what happened to Mateo and Naomi.

Luisa frowned and said, "You are supposed to spend today with Prince Alonso. He has already asked for you three times this morning! What will we do about him? " She turned with a glare at Esteban that held the promise of future reprimand.

Elena rolled her eyes. "Well, if he wants to rule Avalor so badly, let's see how he enjoys MY way of ruling. He can come along with us on the jacquins."

Abuela laughed and said, "Oh, I wish I could be there. Be safe, dear!" She turned to Esteban. "And as for you, I heard their was a problem with the letrinas. Perhaps you can oversee the waste cleanup and repair for today."

"But Abeula!", Esteban groaned and agreed with reluctance when he met Luisa's unwavering stare.

/

Elena swung her legs onto Skylar and they coasted next to Gabe, who was mounted on Migs. Elena gave Gabe a small smile and he nodded formally in return. "Good morning, Princess."

Prince Alonso was still Earth-bound, eyeing up Luna dubiously. He called up to them, "Are you sure this is safe?"

Elena rolled her eyes impatiently. "Of course they are, they're my friends. They would never let us fall."

Luna gruffed in agreement. "Unless you keep pulling my fur that hard!"

Prince Alonso muttered, "Lo siento", and they were off.

"Skylar, let's head to Mateo's house first. The guards were supposed to grab Mateo and then head toward the docks." Elena instructed.

The jacquins shifted direction sharply and Alonso yelped from behind them. Elena looked amusedly at Gabe as he snickered at Alonso's cowardice. He fell back next to Alonso and said, "You know, you'd have a hard time keeping up with Elena on her adventures if you can't even handle a simple jacquin ride."

Prince Alonso bristled indignantly. "I am quite fine, I just need to get used to the height. I'm a fine horseman. These beasts are not as smooth or as tame as my thoroughbreds from the Royal Stables in Cordoba."

Luna huffed at the insult but said nothing. Alonso cupped his mouth and shouted to Elena, "Dear Princess Elena, you are stunning on that creature! You command him with such dignity and grace."

Skylar asked, "Command me?! This guy is a bit wacko, eh Elena?"

Elena waved off the compliment and whispered to Skylar, "You have no idea!"

/

The group descended on the de Alva residence and Mafa came outside immediately. "Princess Elena! Did something happen to Mateo?"

"Well we were going to ask you the same thing! He and Naomi never showed up to Council today. Did the guard pick him up this morning?"

"Yes, almost two hours ago. They said they were taking the higher roads to the dock, because they were worried about flooding."

"Thanks, Mafa. We'll find him. In the meantime, can you check on you neighbors and make sure everyone is ok? Guards are patrolling the city to see if anyone needs help."

"Of course, thank you Elena. I know my Mateo will be fine."

/

Once back in the air, Gabe pointed out the road that ran along the mountainside. "That must be the road they took. Let's follow it towards the dock and see if we find anything."

"Let's go!"

Prince Alonso whined, "But wait! We have not had a rest or refreshment. What is the rush!"

Elena turned Skylar around to face him. "Alonso, my friends could be in trouble! And my kingdom needs me! I will always be the type of ruler who will help my people when they need it. If this bothers you, then maybe we are not a good match after all. Perhaps we'd be better as friends? Allies with neighboring kingdoms?"

Prince Alonso bristled at the dismissal. "And perhaps we won't, on account of rude, stubborn women who have poor taste in men." he said, as he glance pointedly at Gabe. "Goodbye, _Princess_ Elena."

Luna smirked. "Catch up with you guys later! As soon as I get this pretentious jerk off my back."

Elena smiled wryly. "He is royalty after all, please get him back to the castle safely. See ya around, Alonso."

Gabe couldn't help but rejoice internally. One down, three to go.

A/N: Sorry for the wait! Thanks for all the reviews & follows!


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